Is the NFL taking sides on who should announce NBC Thursday Night Football?

For most of his career at ESPN, Mike Tirico was recognized as a smooth yakking, jack-of-all-trades voice. Now in his earliest days at NBC, even he could not have envisioned being turned into some kind of broadcast martyr.

That's exactly what the National Football League high command did when it wouldn't let Peacock pooh-bahs slide Tirico under the wire and into the play-by-play role on NBC's five "Thursday Night Football" telecasts. The NFL held NBC suits to the contract they signed (prior to them inking Tirico), which stipulated Al (Exigente) Michaels and Cris Collinsworth (NBC's "Sunday Night Football" voices) would work "TNF."

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After we alerted the Free World about the NFL holding NBC to the deal, there were numerous Woe-Is-Tirico, Pity Parties thrown across a variety of media landscapes. Even someone as heartless as me felt for Mr. T. It did not matter that it was not the ultimate intent of NFL brainiacs to make Tirico look like some second-string mouth, albeit one who had worked ESPN's "Monday Night Football" for a decade.

While there was no malice in their hearts (we think), NFL suits said if they had one thoroughbred to saddle for the Thursday Derby it was going to be a horse named Michaels — not Mike. "We're hoping for that same magic 'Sunday Night Football' has with Al and Cris to carry over to Thursday night,' " was the way the NFL put it.

Yet removing the emotion and ego from all this a couple of things are abundantly clear.

If Tirico actually cares about being benched, and NBC Sports wants to do right by him, it can still find a place to display his football stylings on Thursday or Sunday night. NBC could divvy up it's Sunday "Football Night In America" pregame on-site host role between Tirico and Bob (Rapping Roberto) Costas. Or find a way to use them both. Or find a studio spot for Tirico on "TNF." Hey, whether Tirico or Costas work football or not they both are still going to be paid. In this circumstance, money ain't an issue.

It certainly is with the NFL.

This is not the first time the league has told one of its TV partners what to do. In this case instead of bending to NBC, which is paying $225 million for the right to air five Thursday night games (and another billion or so per year to air "SNF"), the NFL held the network to a contract it signed. Just as it did with CBS, which is required to use its No. 1 NFL team — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms — on "TNF."

Is that any way to treat a partner?

The NFL, and its owners, pay lip service to being in the relationship business. For the NFL, "relationships" are only good if the league holds the upper hand and makes money off them.

NFL owners employ coaches and players who despise playing on Thursday night. Their feelings finish a distant second to creating and sustaining the "TNF" revenue stream, which also benefits the league-owned NFL Network. It simulcasts the Thursday games and broadcasts some exclusively.

Once the NFL planted its flag on Thursday night, the mission became growing it. The money tree is blooming. Last season CBS paid $300 million for eight "TNF" games. This season CBS and NBC are paying $450 million for a combined 10-game package.

How does the NFL continue to ensure those "TNF" TV rights fees increase?

Mike Tirico (r.), now with NBC, shown here back in his ESPN booth with Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden. (Joe Faraoni/Joe Faraoni/ESPN)

It can gradually add more marquee games to the schedule. The 2016 "TNF" slate is pedestrian. That should not stop the NFL from attempting to turn "TNF" into an event, like NBC's "SNF," TV's top-rated primetime show.

One part of the plan — obviously — is making sure you have each network's marquee broadcast team working the games as well as CBS and NBC's top NFL production units calling the shots.

Not only do NFL suits have two major networks paying for the "TNF" product, they have created a competition between CBS Sports and NBC Sports that will benefit the league. This two-network set-up will have CBS and NBC pitted against each other for "TNF" production supremacy.

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Who is the better analyst, Collinsworth or Simms?

Who's got the edge on play-by-play, Nantz or Michaels.

Better camera work? CBS? NBC?

Which network gives "TNF" its own look? Which one can present games in such a manner where that Cardinals-49ers game Oct. 6 on CBS or that Nov. 17 Saints-Panthers on NBC looks special.

NBC has made "SNF" into an extravaganza. Just one look tells you: This is Sunday Night Football. This is an NFL regular season telecast like no other. So CBS Sports, the "TNF" incumbent, will come in looking to prove when it comes to producing NFL football telecasts, it plays second fiddle to no other network.

Get it? NFL suits can sit back, twiddle their thumbs, and watch the two networks battle it out to turn the product into an event. This could help boost the ratings, allowing the NFL to turn around and jack up "TNF" rights fees on the two networks when their contracts expire following the 2017 season.